I mean it, I know from experience.

People don’t choose to be homeless. Loss of income sources, loss of supportive family members, painful addictions, acts of God, kicked out by landlord… whatever the reason, I can’t picture anyone making the choice, “Hmm, I’d rather sleep in an alley than a warm bed…” it just doesn’t make sense. I would have to concur that people in this situation are only there due to painful and extenuating circumstances.

I think it is very important, especially those who are financially blessed, to recognize the poor traveller. Though he or she may or may not have made poor choices to get there, everyone makes mistakes. Really, it happens. 

The Spirit calls upon us, despise it or not, our heart calls upon us to help those in front of us who direly need our help. What stops us? The worry that they might spend our alms on a drink instead of food or shelter? Maybe, maybe not, even so, that emotional crutch they have may be all they have… if that worries you, why not buy them a hot coffee or take them inside for a meal instead?

I discovered a real need in this small city that I reside in. There is no homeless shelter here. When I became broke and homeless a couple of winters ago, due to circumstances I am still embarrased to discuss, there were no affordable hotel rooms or housing available to move into, I was told to leave town and stay at a mission in the big city. Welfare would provide me no more than a bus ticket, take my belongings with me (to a neighborhood I’m afraid to walk through even the daytime), and sleep on a mat in a common room where other homeless addicts and greedy strangers could go through and acquire my belongings while I slept.

It’s hard. Do you know what it’s like to have no place warm to lay your head, to be kicked out of coffeeshops because, “we don’t want your kind here?” and be forced to tirelessly walk the streets in the wind, rain and sleet of March? Some are forced to seek a small amount of warmth and rest in, say, a laundry room of an apartment building, only to be kicked awake by the police and angry building owners… told, “You have to get out… Where? Sorry, anywhere but here, too bad so sad! Bye!”

Wise Proverbs to carefully consider: 

“The poor are despised even by their neighbors,while the rich have many “friends.”” -Proverbs 14:20

“The poor plead for mercy; the rich answer with insults.” -Proverbs 18:23

“The rich and poor have this in common: The Lord made them both.” -Proverbs 22:2

“Better one handful with tranquillity than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind.” -Ecclesiastes 4:6

I pray that you… YOU, READER… I pray you go and seek out your local homeless shelter. I pray you donate as generous a gift of money or time you can afford, to help them pay their bills and staff.

Your local missions are on the front lines of helping people… feeding, clothing, sheltering… the neediest of people. Don’t allow yourself to get comfortable enough in your homes that you neglect your dear living neighbors who cannot afford to cover all their own needs, and have possible have no where to warm up their aching bones or tired muscles.

I like this saying… though it’s true you can’t help everyone who needs help, just help the one in front of you.

Please support your local missions anyway you can. They supply for the needs of physical rest, warmth and emotional healing, reaching out to those who need it the most. If your community doesn’t have one, why not start one?

At least think about it.

In the name of neighborly love, warmth, and recovery,

Elaine Nicol

Got a cause to promote? Want professional websites? Let Netfirms be your provider.

WOOHOO!! Finally I have confirmation from Vocational Rehabilitation Services that my home web-design education and expenses will be covered.

Thank you to everyone who helped!

These people involved really deserve a warm thank-you from me… it’s comforting to know that there are public servants out there who are cognisant and willing to aid individuals with different types of disabilities (such as myself) to train and prepare  for self-employment… because of government programs and grant money,  people  like me can overcome very real barriers to conventional employment. These people work a higher calling, and I am very grateful for them.

I highly look forward to learning more about coding web-sites, this has been an personal interest of mine for 15 years already… only I persued other avenues of training and trades following my high-school graduation. Later facing physical health and family issues that created  barriers to employment and further training, I wished then that I had pursued my original interest in computers, and learned how to code and design internet sites fresh out of high school. If only… coulda, woulda, shoulda… sigh. Oh well, life throws curve-balls sometimes I guess.

No matter!!  Studying God’s word has taught me the value of forgiving oneself for past mistakes, carrying on and looking to the present and future for our livelihoods… what is the use of sitting here and getting sad about how things should have been… there is no use for that except to learn a powerful lesson and move on!

Ha, I just thought of a benefit of me being an affiliate for an excellent webhost like the one I affiliate for…  if I’m going to professionally be a web-master, wouldn’t it be great to get paid commissions for Domains, Web-Hosting, Professional Web-Design, One-Click Applications (like Wordpress), Virtual Private Servers, and SEO? As a web-master, I’m so pleased I’m paid to sell Netfirms services instead of something hard to sell online, such as expensive vitamins or overpriced fruit juices.

Hope everything works out great! Can’t wait to start my course!

Thanks for reading,

Elaine

Need a domain for business or personal?

Hey friend, thanks for coming in and checking out my new site.

My first post… It’s really late… I’ll dream on it and elaborate in the morning when my mind is clearer.

Time to chill out.  I worked hard.  Long day. 

Be sure to click on the “Pin-Up Notes” at the upper-right corner of this page, to view another great function of this site!

Hope you like it, thanks again for visiting!

Elaine